FACES OF NORTHBROOKS: Two Courageous Campers

ByAlsonLauJoonHee(3G)

I awoke to the blaring of my alarm and immediately went back to sleep The last thing I wanted to do was leave the comfort of my bed. Waking up would solidify my fate for the next three days of utter adversity, hopelessness and dread. Or at least, that was what I had initially thought prior to the Secondary 3 Camp at Pulau Ubin!

When I reached the school hall, disarrayed heaps of bags came into sight, as a sense of relief washed over me I wasn’t the only one who had over packed My confidence was boosted slightly when I realised my classmates might have been anxious too: we were all in this together! Things began to feel more exciting when we met our trainers. After logistics were settled and rules were set, we were off to Pulau Ubin

Upon reaching the island, I was stunned by the abundance of greenery and

Please allow me to share with you a brief tale* about the importance of looking out for one another within a family

A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap! Retreating to the barn yard the rat proclaimed the warning: “There’s a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, and said, “Excuse me, Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me I cannot be bothered by it ” The rat turned to the pig, who sympathised with him, “I am so very sorry, Rat, but there is nothing I can do about it. Be assured that you are in my prayers.” The rat turned to the cow, who said, “Like wow, Rat a rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?” The rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s rat trap alone

The farmer rushed her to the hospital She returned home with a fever, so the farmer took his hatchet to the barn yard for the soup’s main ingredient – fresh chicken

His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbours came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well She died and many people came for her funeral The farmer had the cow slaughtered to feed all of them And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught The snake bit the farmer’s wife

Lessons to learn: The next time we hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern us, we must remember that when there is a rat trap in the house –when one of us is threatened – we are ALL at risk. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another Each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry Our lives are woven together for a reason Ignoring the needs of the most vulnerable among us often produces grave consequences for the rest of us kampong atmosphere Even the air there was fresher. On that very day, my class, 3G, hiked to the Chek Jawa Wetlands. Using a map and a compass, my classmate Serianni and I led our group towards our destination The terrain was smooth and relatively easy to navigate, so we reached the destination in under two hours This was a fun experience - with Seri by my side and my cooperative classmates behind me, the weight of leadership became lighter and less daunting.

"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things." – Mother Teresa.

Wishing everyone a fruitful year ahead!

Trace' We learnt that being conscious of our effects on the environment can help sustain it for entire generations to come!

As soon as the short lesson was over, we ventured into the wetlands itself The entire area fascinated me, as I had never experienced it before. Jelawi Tower also offered a panoramic view of the wetlands.

After reaching the wetlands, we were taught the seven principles of 'Leave No

As we ventured further along the boardwalk, we encountered various types of flora and fauna that we would never come across in the city. We also walked along a trail that offered a picturesque view of the coast My initial reservations were beginning to wane; the breathtaking view and fresh air made this one of my favorite moments of the camp